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Bubba Parham missed his first two shots of the night against a 2018 Kentucky team with Tyler Herro and Immanuel Quickley. Playing for Virginia Military Institute, Parham’s lone Division I offer, he quickly bounced back, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers. He finished the night with 10 — breaking VMI’s single-game record.

Despite the loss, Parham won over the Rupp Arena crowd, and fans were even asking his mother, Cynthia, for autographs.

Parham managed to make a name for himself at VMI, scoring over 1,000 points in his two seasons there. He averaged 21.4 points per game in his final season, and earned All-Southern Conference second team honors.

After transferring to Georgia Tech, less than an hour away from his hometown, the senior is averaging 7.7 points per game as a key rotation player coming off the bench. Although he’s no longer a starter like he was at VMI, Parham’s role is a good fit, he and coaches agreed. His former high school coach said despite his reduced role, he’s a much more “complete player” at GT than he was at VMI.

“He’s doing a great job in his role, and he’s helping them win games,” said Daniel Bowles, Parham’s high school basketball coach at Brookwood (G.A.) High School.

For Parham, the road to Georgia Tech was unexpected. VMI was the only Division I offer he received out of high school, and he was turned down by multiple Division II schools.

His freshman year of high school, he fractured his tibia during his first AAU game going up for a layup in transition. Rehabilitation was challenging, but even with a cast on his leg and in a wheelchair, Parham was getting shots up and dribbling the ball all the time.

“I was like, ‘I gotta do what it takes to get back,’” Parham said. “It took awhile for me to get used to the fact that I got screws in my leg and my leg isn’t the same. I was scared to drive at first, but once I got used to it, I felt even better. I felt faster. I felt stronger.”

By his senior year of high school, he had recovered from his fracture and was among the best players in his county — which sent recruits to the likes of Duke and Indiana. Parham was even named the conference player of the year.

In the Georgia playoff game that year against Hillgrove High School, Parham hit a step-back buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send his team to the Elite Eight. Parham’s shooting helped Brookwood — a smaller school not known for its basketball program — advance to the final rounds of the state tournament. Cynthia said “he’s a part of history” at Brookwood.

Although he was arguably the best player in his conference, Parham still struggled to get Division I offers. At 5-foot-10, even Division II recruiters were hesitant to offer him because they thought he was too small to compete in college. He didn’t receive an offer from VMI until after the state tournament, and committed on his first visit.

Virginia Military Institution was the only Division I offer Parham received out of high school. Courtesy of Curtis Compton | Atlanta Journal-Constitution

However, Parham’s dad fell ill during his sophomore season at VMI, and he wanted to transfer to a Georgia school closer to home, Bowles said. When Parham visited Georgia Tech, he could tell that the coaches had watched his film and took an interest in his role on the team — making his decision easy.

Parham’s transfer two years ago was motivated by his family, but, now more than ever, he appreciates being close to home. In January, he lost both his cousin and uncle. He talked to his cousin, Teco, every day about life and basketball. Being away from his family while traveling for games has been hard, but the proximity of his family allows them to grieve together.

This past summer, Parham and his girlfriend delivered a child, Magic. For Parham, it’s been tough being a father while traveling frequently during a pandemic. However, being a father is still one of the joys of his life.

“My family, my parents, brothers and sisters, my girlfriend — I just dedicate it to my family. I’m a family man and I’ll always be that way.”

Published on February 24, 2021 at 9:41 pm

Contact Adam: amccaffe@syr.edu